NOVITA BANS PSA FROM WORK SITES 060911

NOVITA MANAGEMENT USES WORKCHOICES TO BAN PSA FROM WORK SITES.

PSA members at Novita (formerlly Crippled Children's Association) joined with staff at a breakfast meeting this morning (11 September 2006) to express concern against Novita management movers to use new WorkChoices rules to ban PSA representatives from meeting on work sites.

Novita's effectiveness as a provider of services to some of the State's
most vulnerable children and their parents is heavily dependent on the
goodwill of staff. That goodwill is being eroded by management using
WorkChoices rules in a bid to keep pay and conditions below the standard
received by most members of the public sector.

The PSA opposes the use of WorkChoices to erode the rights of workers
and has written to Disabilities Minister Jay Weatherill raising concerns
that Novita has chosen to use the harsh new laws against members.

This matter arises over attempts to achieve a new union collective agreement for Novita members. A reasonable claim was put forward by PSA on behalf of employees, yet after months of negotiations Novita have advised that they will not move from the existing offer. The PSA has requested that either negotiations resume in good faith or employees be given the opportunity to vote on the proposal.

Last week the PSA was advised that industrial staff were not permitted to use Novita premises to speak to members about a new union collective agreement. The PSA will continue to be the voice of members when it comes to protecting jobs and services.

PSA - WORKING FOR YOU